Machine and process for affixing covering material to forms



O. P. GREENWOOD.

MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR AFFIXING COVERING MATERIAL T0 FORMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1920.

1,393,772. Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lnve nToT: Oliver F? Greenwood 0. P. GREENWOOD. MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR AFFIXING COVERING. MATERIAL T0 FORMS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1920.

1,393,772. I Patented owls, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Fig.2.

27 18 I7 '24 I9 ZI 2.5 20 v 9 2 H3 InvenTm M OIiver F? Greenwood 0. P. GREENWO0D; MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR-AFFIXING COVERING MAT ERIAL T0 FORMS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1920.

1,393,772. Patented .Oct. 18, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Oliver P Greenv ood UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON,

MAINE.

MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR AFFIXING COVERING MATERIAL TO FORMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed May 3, 1920. Serial No. 378,554.

T 0 all 207mm may concern Be it known that I, OLIVER P. GREEN- woon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Billerica, State of Massachusetts, county of Middlesex, have invented an Improvement in Machines and Processes for Allixing Covering Material to Forms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a machine for and to a process of afiixing covering materials to forms and also to a novel structure of covered form. .7

The invention is more particularly concerned with the covering of sheet metal boxes such as employed for jewelry boxes and similar purposes wherein the box is covered with a fabric such for example as velvet.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the use of an adhesive for securing the covering material to the box, to eliminate the necessity for heating the dies, and to secure an article in which the covering material is snugly fitted to the surface of the box and is securely held in place.

The invention is of great advantage. First, in that it simplifies the apparatus required. Second, inthat it eliminates the necessity for the use of heat. Third, that it eliminates the necessity for the use of an adhesive. Fourth, that it produces a covered box in which the covering'material is retained in its original condition uninjured or unaffected by an adhesive or by heat; and fifth, it produces a covered box in which the covering material is perfectly fitted to the surface and securely held in place. The result is that this invention not only simplifies the operations and the cost of manufacture but produces a superior finished article.

The objects and nature of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

' In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a form of apparatus embodying the invention and suitable for carrying out the process.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation partially in vertical section and on a larger scale of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

in front elevation and partially 1n vertical cross section showing the position of the main elements of the apparatus at the beginning of the covering operatlon.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in successive succeeding positlon.

Fig. 7 is a view similar the parts in the the operation is parts have been of the article.

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective illustrating the finished article produced by this invention.

The invention is shown in the preferred form as embodied in an apparatus of the type illustrated in the patent to Brown No. 1,117,162, November 17, 1914, to which reference may be made for a more complete disclosure of the details of construction of those parts of the apparatus not particularly concerned with the present invention. By the use of this form of apparatus the preferred form of the process is practised and an article embodying a preferred form of the invention produced.

The form or box may be of any desired shape. A simple form is shown of shallow rectangular shape and made of sheet metal. When two of such forms are hinged or secured together they serve to constitute an ordinary type of jewelry box. Such a form is shown in cross section at l in Fig. 3. This form or box is made of sheet metal and it is formed with a plurality of pointed tabs 2 projecting inwardly from its walls with the points extending toward the edges of the box walls and at an. acute angle thereto. These tabs may be formed in any suitable manner as by being struck or punched out of the side walls of the box.

The material employed for covering the box may be any such suitable and usual ma terial as is employed for this purpose, such for example as velvet. This material is cut into pieces of such a size and shape as to cover the entire exterior of the box and lie over the edge and the interior side walls below the bottom of the pointed tabs. Such a sheet of covering material is shown at 3.

The apparatus illustrated comprises a supporting frame 4 rising from a base fiand Fig. 3 a a detail to Fig. 3 showing position they occupy when completed and before the separated for the removal having at its overhanging end the vertical ways 6. The base 5 is bolted as at 7 to a suitable table or'stand 8.

The base 5 carries the lower members of a die used in applying the covering mateis guided on a bolt 14 secured at its upper end in the bridge piece 13 and provided at its lower end with an adjustable nut 15. helical spring 16 surrounds the bolt 14 between the plate 12 and the nut 15 and thus acts normally to project the yieldable die face upwardly. The upward position of the yieldable die face is determined by the contact of the plate 12 with the bridge piece 13, and the downward position is. determined by adjustable means such as set screws.

The upper surface of the bed 9 of the lower die is provided with a cover plate 17 and on this cover plate is mounted a suitable gage 18 for positioning the sheet of covering material. Suitable wipers 19 which may be constructed and operated as described in the aforesaid patent to Brown are located in the bed 9 beneath the cover plate 17 and act when projected inwardly to turn the edge of the covering material horizontally inwardly over the edges of the box.

The supporting frame is provided with the upper die member and with means for clamping the box and covering material against the lower die member. Preferably these devices are in the form of a central yieldable plunger 20 and a surrounding hollow plunger 21.

These members are carried by the head 22 which is mounted toslide in the vertical ways 6. This head has secured thereto a head plate 23 extending over the cover plate 7 18. The hollow plunger or die member 21 is secured as by the screws 24 to the head plate 23. The central yieldable plunger or die member 20 is provided extending up into a recess in the head 22 against an expansive helical spring 26.

The head plate is also provided with a suitable tensioning device comprising the frame 27 carried by vertical plungers -28 seated against helical springs 29 in the vertical casings 30' extending upwardly from the head plate. This tensioning device may be constructed and operated as set forth in the aforesaidpatent to Brown and acts to with a stem 25' hold the sheet of covering material against the cover plate prior to the action of the wipers.

The movable head may be operated by means such as disclosed in the aforesaid patent to Brown. A toggle mechanism is there provided comprising the links 31 and 32, the operating lever 33 and the links 34 connecting the operating lever to the sup porting frame. The upper link 31 is pivotally connected to a plug 35 adjustably mounted on the supporting frame and the lower links 32 are connected to the vertically movable head22. The links 31 and 32 are pivoted together and to the operating lever by a bolt 36. The operating lever is also pivotally connected to the links 34 by a bolt 37 which links in turn are pivotally connected to the supporting frame at 38. When therhead is in elevated position the toggle mechanism is broken and the lever is in elevated position. Upon downward movement of the lever the rear end of the lever is moved inwardly thus straightening the toggle links and forcing the head clownwardly. The head is preferably counterbalanced by springs 39 connected at the upper end to the supporting frame. Suitable means are also provided for adjusting the plug 35 to which theupper link 31 is connected. Such means are shown as a bar 40 adjustably mounted on bolts 41 and 42 secured in the frame, nuts being provided on both sides of the barto hold it in adjusted position. Thus the lowermost position of the head and therefore the upper die members may be accurately adjusted.

The upper die member or hollow plunger 21 has its exterior face of such a size and shape as snugly to fit the surface of the pointed tabs 2 when they are turned down against the inside of the box walls. At the lower edge of the outside face thisplunger 21 is provided with notches or recesses 43 in alinement with the pointed tabs 2.

The operation of the apparatus and the steps of the process in carrying out this invention and producing the covered box of this invention in the preferred forms illustrate-d will be readily understood from the illustrations in Figs. 3 to 8 of the drawings.

In Fig. 3 the apparatus is shown in open position. In this position the lower yieldable die member 10 stands flush with the top of the cover plate 17. The other members stand. in elevated positions. The sheet of covering material 3 is then laid upon the up per surface of the cover plate 17 and the die by operating the handle 33 the succeeding positions of the parts illustrated follow in sequence.

As the head 22 moves downwardly the tensioning device or frame 27 comes into yielding engagement With the covering material outside of the box and as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

As the operation continues the central yieldable plunger or die member 20 passes into the box, seats against the bottom, thus clamping the covering material beneath the box against the yieldable lower die member 10.

As the operation continues the box and covering material thus clamped between the die members20 and 10 passes down in the aperture in the bed 9 and thus folding the edge of the covering material against the outside of the side walls of the box and at the same time the tensioning device 27 rises to release the covering material. The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 4.

As the operation, continues the wipers 19 move inwardly folding the edge of the cov ering material horizontally over the edge of the box and beneath the hollow plunger or die member 21. The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 5.

As the operation continues the wipers 19 are withdrawn and the plunger 21 descend ing engages the intu'rned edges of the covering; material forcing it downwardly and against the inside of the side walls of the box and as the recesses 43. ride overs the pointed tabs 2 the covering material at these points is forced or impaled on the pointed tabs and the top of the recesses -13 finally come into contact with the pointed ends of the tabs 2. The parts are :then in the position shown in Fig. 6.

It will therefore be seen that the edge of the covering material is now inturned downwardly toward the side walls of the box throughout the inside periphery and that each pointed tab is impaled thereon so that the pointed tabs project therethrough.

As the operation continues the hollow plunger or die member 21 continues its descent until preferably it comes into contact with the bottom of the box and the parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 7. During this operation of its. descent a die member 21 at the notched portions 43 bends the pointed tabs 2 down "ever the impaled material and against the inside of and away from the edge of the box walls. This bending of the tabs it will be seen stretches the material causing it to fit snugly against the outer surface of they box and pulling it tightly into place. Then the tabs are finally bent down they are clamped by the outer surface of the die member 21 against the inside of thebox walls with the ing of the material. In practice it is found that the material is stretched snugly into contact with the entire, outside surface of the box and is held firmly clamped in stretched condition so that the completed article formed is a most satisfactory form, leaving the covering material in itsoriginal and uninjured condition and eliminating the use of adhesives and of heat, both of which frequently injure or mar the covering materials.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A machine-for applying covering material to a metal box provided with a plurality of pointed tabs projecting inwardly from the walls of the box with the points extending .toward the edges of the box. walls and-at an acute angle thereto comprising a die member to receive the sheet of covering material and the box thereon, a plunger member loosely fitting the box interior and provided with recesses in its sides opposite the tabs, means for effecting relative movement of thel'die member and plunger member, and means for inturning the edge of the sheet of covering material over the box edges and between the plungerl member and die member when separated whereby when thereafter the die member and plunger member are closed, first the material opposite the recesses in the plunger is impaled on the tabs, next the end walls of the recesses bend the tabs toward the die member stretching the material snugly against the outer surface of the box, and finally the unrecessed portionof the plunger member clamps the tabs and interposed material against the inside of the box walls thus securing the material in stretched condition.

2. A machine for applying covering material to a metal box provided with a plurality of pointed tabs projecting inwardly from the walls of the box with the points extending toward the edge of the box walls and at an acute angle thereto comprising a die member having a recess to fit the exterior of the side walls of the box and a yielding die face, a hollow plunger member loosely fitting the box interior and provided with recesses in its sides opposite the tabs, a central yieldable plunger mounted in the plunger member, means for effecting relative movement of the plungers with respect to V the die member acting first to bring the .yieldable plunger against the bottom of the box when placed on a sheet of covering material, then to clamp the box and interposed material against the yieldable die face and then to force the box into the recess in the die member turning the material against the exterior side walls of the box, means for inturning the edge of the sheet of material over the box edges and between the hollow plunger member and the die member, whereby when thereafter the hollow plunger memher is forced into the box, first the material opposite the recess in the plunger is impaled on the tabs, next the end walls of the re cesses bend the tabs toward the bottom of the box stretching the material snugly against the outer surface of the box and finally the unrecessed portion of the plunger member clamps the tabs and interposed material against the inside of the box walls thus securing the material in stretched condition.

3. The process of covering a metal box with a'sheet offabric which consists in striking a plurality of pointed tabs inwardly from the walls of the box with the points extending toward the edges of the walls and at an acute angle to the walls, placing the sheet of fabric against the outer surface of the box with the edge of the fabric inturned toward the inside of the box walls, forcing the inturned fabric edge over and impaling them upon the pointed tabs, and bending the tabs thus projecting through the fabric edges down over the fabric against the inside of and awayfrom the edges of the box walls and thus stretching the fabric snugly against the outer surface of the box and securing it in position in this stretched condition.

4. The process of covering an article with a sheet of material which consists in producing a plurality of impaling members upon said article, stretching the sheet of gage said impaling members.

6. The process of covering a sheet metal article which consists in striking aplurality of pointed impaling members from said article with the points extending toward the edges thereof, applying the sheet'of covering material to the other side of said article, carryin the edges of said sheet over the edge of said article, causing the same to engage said impaling members and bending said impaling members to cause the points thereof to extend away from the edge of said article.

7. The process of covering a metallic box with a sheet of covering material which consists in striking a plurality of pointed impaling members inwardly from the walls of the box with their points extending toward the edges'of said walls, applying the covering to the outer side of saidbox, forcing said article into a die having a recess to fitthe side walls of the box, folding the edges of said material by followers over the edges of saidbox, pressing the edges of the material upon said impaling members by a plunger and finally causing said plunger to force the ends of said impaling members in a direction away from the edge of the box whereby tension is imposed upon said covering material and the same stretched snugly over the outer side of the box In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

oLrvEa P. eannnwoon. 

